Children's Cross‐Ethnic Relationships in Elementary Schools: Concurrent and Prospective Associations Between Ethnic Segregation and Social Status

This study examined whether ethnic segregation is concurrently (fall) and prospectively (fall to spring) associated with social status among 4th‐ and 5th‐grade African American and European American children (n = 713, ages 9–11 years). Segregation measures were (a) same‐ethnicity favoritism in peer affiliations and (b) cross‐ethnicity dislike. Social status measures were same‐ and cross‐ethnicity peer nominations of acceptance, rejection, and cool. Among African Americans, fall segregation predicted declines in cross‐ethnicity (European American) acceptance and same‐ethnicity rejection, and increases in same‐ethnicity acceptance and perceived coolness. For European American children, fall segregation predicted declines in cross‐ethnicity (African American) acceptance and increases in cross‐ethnicity rejection. Results indicate that segregation induces asymmetric changes in social status for African American and European American children.     

An Attachment Model of University Connectedness

Students with high levels of connectedness to the university have been found to be more likely to complete their college degree than are students with low levels of university connectedness. This study examined the role of parental and peer attachment as distal predictors of school connectedness. As predicted, it was found that attachment style to parents predicted attachment style to peers. An avoidant attachment style to peers predicted negative perceptions of peer support and support services. An anxious attachment style to peers predicted negative perceptions of faculty support. Perceptions of peer support, support services, and faculty support then predicted feelings of connectedness to the university. Classroom comfort also predicted university connectedness, although it was not found to be related to attachment style to parents or peers. Implications for college students and college/university administrators are discussed.     

Expecting the unexpected: engaging diverse young people in conversations around science

The issue of limited engagement with science for young people from Indigenous, minority and lower socio-economic groups in Australia appears to have been sidelined from the mainstream debate around falling rates of engagement with science at the secondary schooling level. The ‘closing the gap’ mantra of education policy in Australia has seen an extraordinary focus on improving literacy and numeracy outcomes for Indigenous students, which, while valuable, has subsumed the importance of other key learning areas including science. Teachers are soon to be expected to incorporate Indigenous Perspectives within the science subjects of the new Australian National Curriculum yet appear to be under-resourced to meet this challenge to traditional approaches to science teaching. The purpose of this paper is to explore the pedagogy of a teacher working at an alternative secondary schooling site in North Queensland Australia who volunteered to modify his teaching of science to explicitly incorporate Indigenous Perspectives. The qualitative data collected through classroom observation and teacher interviews demonstrates the complex and multi-faceted nature of the science education experience when traditional pedagogical boundaries are dismantled to allow for a drawing upon of the lived experiences of diverse young people. The teacher’s ability to embrace this broader vision of science is linked to the inclusive culture of the alternative school environment that is brought into being through a ‘common ground’ philosophy of mutual respect and democratic relations.     

THE IMPACT OF A GERONTOLOGICAL INTERVENTION ON OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL STUDENTS

In order to evaluate the impact of adding a brief unit on aging to the first‐year curriculum of a school of osteopathic medicine a quasiexperimental design was employed. The educational experience involved three hours of classroom material, a visit to a nursing home, and a visit to a congregate housing facility for the well elderly. Over one semester the entire first‐year class was scheduled for the program. Analysis of pretest and posttest data revealed a mild but significant improvement in knowledge and attitudes with respect to the elderly. Subjective responses to the program were very positive.     

The teacher work sample: A tool for scaffolding and assessing preservice teachers' early field experiences

Abstract

This article describes adapting teacher work sample methodology from the student teaching level to a 4‐week, 25‐hour field experience occurring relatively early in a teacher education program. The goals of the project were twofold: (a) to examine whether an adapted version of the teacher work sample would promote planning and reflection in preservice teachers, and (b) to explore the potential of an adapted teacher work sample as an assessment tool. Adaptations to the original, such as emphasizing formative over summative assessment, are briefly described. Survey and focus group data from a pilot combined with survey data from a semester of full implementation with 270 teacher candidates indicate the teacher work sample is useful for promoting reflection and an understanding of student assessment. The advantages of the teacher work sample are maximized when teacher candidates are engaged in whole class instruction.     

First-year students’ appraisal of assessment tasks: implications for efficacy,engagement and performance

This study investigated students’ appraisals of assessment tasks and the impact of this on both their task-related efficacy and engagement and subsequent task performance. Two hundred and fifty-seven first-year students rated their experience of an assessment task (essay, oral presentation, laboratory report or exam) that they had previously completed. First-year students evaluated these assessment tasks in terms of two general factors: the motivational value of the task and its manageability. Students’ evaluations were consistent across a range of characteristics and level of academic achievement. Students’ evaluations of motivational value generally predict their engagement and their evaluations of task manageability generally predict their sense of task efficacy. Engagement was a significant predictor of task performance (viz. actual mark) for exam and laboratory report tasks but not for essay-based tasks. Findings are discussed in terms of the implications for assessment design and management.     

Online News Media and Advanced Learning: A Test of Cognitive Flexibility Theory

This study looks at how audiences of online news media could benefit from an application of cognitive flexibility theory (CFT), a constructivist theory from the field of education psychology. CFT posits that when case examples from a complex, “ill-structured” knowledge area are interwoven with conceptual perspectives, individuals can better apply learning across diverse settings. Researchers propose that news stories on complex issues lend themselves to CFT. Results suggest that the CFT format offers greater efficiency and some advantages for more knowledgeable and involved audiences, and for frequent Web users.     

Who gets to play? Investigating equity in musical instrument instruction in Scottish primary schools

There is a widely held view that learning to play a musical instrument is a valuable experience for all children in terms of their personal growth and development. Although there is no statutory obligation for instrumental music provision in Scottish primary schools, there are well-established Instrumental Music Services in Local Education Authorities that have been developed to provide this facility for pupils. This article presents the findings of a study that was aimed at investigating the extent to which the opportunity to undertake instrumental instruction in Scottish primary schools is equitable. The study employed a mixed-methods approach. Data were gathered from 21 Scottish primary schools, a total pupil population of 5122 pupils of whom 323 pupils were receiving instrumental instruction. The analysis involved an investigation of the academic profile of this group, the representation of children with additional support needs (ASN) and the nature of their ASN. A qualitative analysis of policy and guideline documents and interviews with Heads of Instrumental Services, headteachers and instrumental instructors served to explain and illuminate the quantitative data. The findings showed that particular groups of children with ASN were significantly under-represented and offer explanations of the processes by which this occurs.     

Reviewing the English Teacher and the English Department: A Method of Individual and Departmental Assessment

This article reviews the evidence on the way that schools and school systems find, share and use research in their work, with a particular focus on the role of school and district leaders in increasing the prominence and value of research in their work. It reviews the evidence on the ways in which practitioners in education find and use research and the role of organisation factors in promoting the use of research. The article concludes with a discussion of steps that school and district leaders could take to increase the profile of research in their organisations.